Houston, SMU, UTEP showing interest in Mountain West?

Houston, SMU and UTEP reportedly have shown interest in joining the Mountain West Conference, according to a report from Jeremy Fowler of cbssports.com.

The news comes in the wake of Boise State’s jarring decision to remain in the Mountain West instead of moving to the Big East.

Boise State and the Mountain West announced the decision on Monday.

After the announcement of Boise State as the Mountain West’s 11th football playing member in 2013, speculation swirled that the conference might try to go to as many as 14 or even 16 teams.

Even with 11 members, Fowler pointed out that the Boise-bolstered Mountain West likely would move to the top of the group of five conferences that will seek to place a team in one of the major bowls starting in the 2014 season.

How does this affect UTSA?

Not sure at this point. But to remind, UTSA is scheduled to join Conference USA in all sports in 2013-14.

UTSA’s primary regional competition within the C-USA in coming years is expected to be from schools such as Tulsa, UTEP, North Texas, Rice, Louisiana Tech and Tulane.

Now UTEP and perhaps Tulsa are candidates to join the Mountain West.

Houston and SMU, scheduled to start play in the Big East in 2013, also may be in the Mountain West mix.

A conference home there would be a logical step for both schools, which have been hung out to dry by the Big East implosion.

Not sure what happens now with Tulane, which is scheduled to join the Big East in 2014.